selling travel october 2014
DESCRIPTION
The How To Magazine for Travel Trade Professionals. This issue focuses on how to shoot images locally to help you sell globally and of course, much, much more!TRANSCRIPT
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THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE FOR TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
OCTOBER 2014
4 EDITORIAL
The DESIRE to travel starts early and continues throughout one’s
life – are you marketing to Generation Z?
Share your money making ideas
in SELLING TRAVEL.
CONTACT
Steve Crowhurst [email protected]
250-738-0064 www.sellingtravel.net
Publisher:
SMP Training Co. www.smptraining.com
Contributors
Steve Crowhurst SELLING TRAVEL is owned and published by Steve Crowhurst, SMP Training Co. All Rights Reserved. Protected by International Copyright Law. IC TRAVEL AGENT can be shared, forwarded, cut and pasted but not sold, resold or in any way monetized. Using any images or content from IC TRAVEL AGENT must be sourced as follows: “Copyright SMP Training Co. www.smptraining.com” SMP Training Co. 568 Country Club Drive, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, V9K-1G1 Note: Steve Crowhurst is not responsible for outcomes based on how you interpret or use the ideas in SELLING TRAVEL. T: 250-738-0064.
7 JUST PUBLISHED: HOW TO SELL MORE BOOKS
9 SHOOT LOCAL – SELL GLOBAL
14 ART TOURS OF EUROPE
15 BIKE SHOPS
16 OUTFITTERS & MORE
17 GIVE THEM A TASTE OF YOUR CULTURE
18 WAITIN’ FOR IPHONE 23!
19 READ THE FINE PRINT By Jill Wykes
20 PEACE THROUGH TOURISM
21 WHAT THE TRAVEL AGENT GIVETH…
23 REMOTE SHUTTER
24 ISSUU.COM TRY IT FOR YOUR OWN MAGAZINE
25 IT’S ALL IN THE CARDS
26 QUOTE ME THIS!
27 QUOTES WITH A DIFFERENCE
28 YES YOU DO… By Jill Wykes
29 ARE YOU ON THE LIST?
30 THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE BOOK STORE
31 I DO WEDDINGS
32 CLASSIFIEDS
Please note that Selling Travel, owned and published by SMP Training Co, is not connected in any way to Selling Travel magazine published by BMI Publishing Ltd., and based in the UK. The latter publication focuses entirely on destination and travel/tourism product training and is circulated solely to the UK and Ireland travel industries. To benefit from this resource visit www.sellingtravel.co.uk and be sure to subscribe.
Attention Suppliers: Advertising in SELLING TRAVEL reaches the serious business-minded travel agent. Promote your products and services using Selling Travel’s unique promotional formula – you write the articles on how to sell your own products offering step-by-step selling tips, tools and techniques that you know have worked for your agency accounts. Full page rates range from $300 to $425 based on number of insertions. Remember, if you can’t sell it to them, they can’t sell it for you!
THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE FOR TRAVEL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
TRUE SUPPORT FOR TRUE PROFESSIONALSAt Nexion Canada, we know that you are passionate about your travel business. So we provide you
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• Top commissions with leading air, cruise and land suppliers
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• Access to our exclusive point-and-click booking engine or through the Amadeus, Sabre or Galileo
• Training, coaching and networking opportunities
• Innovative marketing programs to grow your business
• Exclusive cruise block space and supplier offers
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10131503-Nexion_Ad.indd 1 10/29/13 2:18 PM
The
WILL
to
SHOOT LOCAL – SELL GLOBAL
Of course you have a camera. Everybody has a camera. They must. They have to and as a travel
agent it’s now a matter of course that part of your gear, your daily kit, is a camera – or at least a
gadget with photographic capability. With smartphones taking over much of the pocket-camera
market you are already armed and dangerous.
The latest smartphones have a range of 8MP to 14MP, larger screens, slo-mo and time lapse
video and more photo editing apps than flights to New York! There’s no excuse then for not
capturing local images that will help you sell overseas destinations. The key is knowing where to
look and what to snap.
You can shoot a box of chili peppers in a market stall, the gate entrance to your local Chinatown
if you have one, the front of an Indian restaurant, cherry blossom trees and art works, too. More
on how to do this inside.
In this issue we also take a look at selling travel in times of war, terror, climate change and more.
Check out the Peace Page for that. The times they are a changing once more.
Here’s to your continued success in SELLING TRAVEL.
Best regards.
Steve Crowhurst, CTC, CTM Hon.
www.sellingtravel.net
The How-To Magazine for Travel Trade Professionals
Click on the store icon to opt-in.
Steve Crowhurst, Publisher
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Shoot Local, Sell Global
The concept of using local images to sell an overseas destination is not new, even Hollywood
films in New Zealand and “sells” it to you as Japan, or shoots in the studio back lot and now it’s
representing New York. So for you to shoot local and sell global is fine. All you have to do is
identify what it is you would like to take a picture of and how you will repurpose it to help you
sell a destination overseas.
If you are well travelled then naturally you
will have more than enough images of the
real deal. The actual place you intend to sell
is on record and from this moment on it’s a
matter of weaving your image into your
marketing.
That Face… That Face…
But what if you need a face with a body to go
with it? What if you needed an Asian face, a
South American face, and African face? Yes,
you could walk out to the local marketplace
or shopping centre and look around – spot
someone who looks the part then walk up to
them and ask if they would pose for you.
Chances are, the easier route would be to
search amongst your friends and their
friends. Somewhere in there is the face you
need.
It could be you are planning a senior’s tour
or a tour for Baby Boomers. You might need
a face that represents that generation. Off to
Gran and Granddad’s you go, and have them
pose for you.
If you don’t mind laughing at yourself, you
could download an aging App and apply it to
your own face and bingo (!) you have an
image of a senior you to use in your
marketing.
Food Stuff
When you need a shot of food from around
the world, head to the local farmers market,
or to an area of town known as Little Italy,
Little India and Chinatown. Most ethnic
groups seem to have a “town” where they
shop and that means you can go there and
simply ask the shop owner if you can take a
few photographs – of him/her too!
It’s My Dinner…
Are you having spaghetti this evening for
dinner? Excellent. Shoot the dish before you
tuck into it and that’s your main image for
your marketing piece or flyer to promote
your trip to Italy.
You CAN Have Your Cake and Sell It Too
A good pal returned from an ancestry tour,
tracing his mother’s roots and in doing so he
came face to face with the Verden’s Besta
Kake which means The World’s Best Cake
and that, I can guarantee is true. Shown
here is the cake he made for us upon return.
Now, if you baked this cake, you could have
shot it before eating it and used the image
like I’m using it here to help you promote a
foodie tour to Scandinavia, the North Cape
or simply stay and tour Norway.
Cruising The Waves
Any lake or ocean close by? If so, then head
out when the water is calm or glistening by
moonlight or sunset and take your best shot.
Now you have a water based image to help
sell your cruise promotion.
Chinatown my Chinatown
The image on the cover and fronting this
article was shot locally and then I used the
Tangled FX app to manipulate the image into
something a little more artsy. With that
image as my main image I could repurpose it
to a brochure cover and perhaps build an art
tour of China, or Hong Kong, or even a visit
to every Chinatown throughout North
America. Now there’s a tour few have
created. You might even turn it into a foodie
tour and the search for the best Chinese
food in NA. I mention that because as I write
this page I am recalling a visit to Japan and
my search for the best Katsudon throughout
our trip.
Let’s continue the search and shoot mission
and head to many more beautiful vistas.
I’m now thinking ART Tours and to help you
push a tour like that all you need is a shot of
your uncle’s latest oil painting, or a shot of
the local art gallery window. Or, one of your
own sketches or a shot of your own children,
or even your cat!
Here’s one of my own artworks and it
features a hand-embossed work in pewter –
the subject is a little mashed as I used various
designs to create it. However, it has a look
that would certainly help to promote a tour
of India, Nepal etc.
Adventure Tours
All you need to help you promote the
outdoors is a shot of the outdoors. Mind you,
your final image should represent where you
are doing on your tour – or it could simply
look rugged and promote adventure travel.
Look around for rocks, sandy areas, sparse
areas, forests, cliffs… and take the shot.
My wife is standing on the edge! Nerves of steel
she has. I hung back with the telephoto!!
Everything You Need Is Local
Although you can obtain images from your
suppliers, tourism boards, image banks and
the like, there is a better message in the
making when you shoot, edit and create
your own images. In that way you own it.
I’m sure there is a golf club nearby where
you can shoot something artistic. You may
have one or two old pubs, or bars in the area.
How about old buildings sporting wonderful
architecture?
Once again, the easy route is to ask your
suppliers for an image however most of the
time there is nothing creative or inviting. It’s
simply a basic shot and YOU are not in it.
This leads us to the next level of imagery and
it includes you. That’s right. You may have to
set the scene to your liking, and you may
have to pull a Hollywood and fake it –
however all is fine in the world of marketing.
It’s the story you are trying to tell and the
destination or tour you are trying to sell.
Here’s my hiking in the Alps image and if you
know the area, this is shot in the Rockies. All
I want to show are a few mountain peaks, a
ridge and me standing on it. The image does
not claim the photo to be of the Alps – the
suggestion is that “WE” go to the Alps to
hike. Perfectly legit and above board and the
shot was shot locally at little expense and I
own it. Keeping your costs down is always
important and shooting local allows for this.
From Local Golf Course to Scotland
So easy to create the story you need to tell. Above is a shot of a golf club that’s local to me. I live
on it, but don’t play! Yeah, yeah… I know… but my pal Mike T’ does. In fact that’s him dressed up
in his Let’s Go Golfing in Scotland gear. He modelled the image which I sketched and now use.
There’s nothing better than a shot of you in
the image and the image is on location and
the location is the one you are planning to
promote. BUT… when you do not have that
image and you need one and the images you
can source are either old and outdated, not
having enough oomph or they will cost you
money to acquire – then you can resort to
shooting local as explained.
To do this well, you’ll need to keep your “eye
in” as they say and be able to see the BIG
picture as someone else says. The art of
seeing the shot is the key and then comes
the editing skill to reduce and crop and
change the colouring of your image to suit
the area you are planning to promote.
Another source of imagery would be your
client’s photographic journeys. Using client
content allows you to also promote that the
image was shot by one of your clients – thus
proving that you have booked people or a
group ‘there’ before.
So now it’s over to you. Your smartphone is
good enough, easy to carry and there’s no
need to lug the full kit around town. A tripod
might be handy as and when you need that
steady hand.
Good luck with sourcing your local images
and be sure to save them to file and
repurpose them according to the tour or
destination you are promoting. Click on!
“Come with us to
Scotland in 2015 and
play the best game of
your life!”
Do you know any artists? Any friends who
are painting scenes of foreign destinations?
Any friends of friends who paint that you
could be introduced to? The reason for all
the questions is this: chances are you could
use an image from one or more of the artist’s
paintings to help you sell more tours to that
destination. At the same time, you would be
exposing the artist to your own client list and
also the local community. It’s a win-win.
The artwork shown on this page is by a friend
of mine (Pauline Evans) and the subject
matter is of an area of Tuscany – the painting
is titled “Near Capannoli, Tuscany” that she
and her husband visited when they attended
a cooking school there.
If you sell to Europe and perhaps wish to
develop a niche in this area (Tuscany) and
perhaps you are also interested in
developing the cooking school niche – then
this type of artwork can help focus your
clients on the area.
With the artist’s permission, you could print
this image into postcards and use them in a
direct mail campaign. You can post the
image on your website, social media outlets
such as Facebook and then boost your post
for a few dollars in order to reach an extra
2,000 people who are linked to your
Facebook Friends. The concept of sending
this image viral is the key to you gaining a
response that could fill those 20 seats you
need to sell.
More locally, you might chat with your artist
friend and ask if they would attend your
event The Art of Travelling to Tuscany for
instance and chat about their time there.
Naturally, the artwork you are using for its
image can be on display and for sale if the
artist wishes to make it available. What else
could you combine with your niche
destination (Tuscany) and the various off
shoots for tours (food, cooking school,
sightseeing…) – well how about involving
your artist friend and work with them to
arrange a painting holiday to Tuscany and to
the very spot where the image you are using
was painted?
Many of your existing clients would be
dabbling in painting, photography, cooking
and outdoor activities like hiking too. So,
from your one artistic connection comes
more than just their painting. Next step:
connect with your artistic friends or friends
of friends or just make the call to a local
gallery and discuss your ideas. And please
visit my friend’s gallery when you have
time. She’ll ship to any location!
http://www.paulinenadeau-evans.com/
Local bike shops can offer you excellent images and
information for attracting potential clients to join your
Tour de France tour. You could be watching the race
along the route, then cycling here and there to take in
the countryside before returning to the race route for
more action. That’s one idea. Here’s more:
The bike is your connection to so many
countries and types of vacations. Call it a soft
adventure vacation and attract the more
healthy, fit local consumer to your agency or,
you can up the activity to hard core road
racing levels or back woods mountain biking
and attract the younger generation who are
ready for a ride in a far off distant land.
Chances are you might be a rider yourself
and if so then this is your niche product
which can be sold to many locations, cities
and countries where the bike is still king. Or,
you could tailor your customized tours to fit
the baby boomer market and stick to those
very scenic side roads, byways and village
roads that exist in the UK, Europe and Japan
for instance.
All you need do now is build a relationship
with your local bike shop owner.
To kick that relationship into gear just ride
up, park and walk in to a pre-arranged
appointment. Shake hands, sit down, explain
your tour ideas and here’s where you need
the owner’s buy-in: you want to use their
bikes, the shop window and even the bike
shop owner’s image in your promotional
material. Would be nice to work a special
price for a specific bike should any of your
clients be in the market to buy one.
As with the art gallery owner or artist ideas,
this must be a win-win. You get to use their
products, location, images and the bike shop
taps into a new customer base in addition to
being featured in your marketing.
If the bike shop owner has a professional
track record then that’s one more element
to tie into your marketing. Next question:
would the bike shop owner join your tour?
The outdoors is on many people’s minds as they wander about the
planet and wonder what will become of it. Going
green is a trend in travel and that means the
outdoors beckons the outdoor type and they are
found right where your customer list is.
Here’s a quick story from when I had my travel
agency: I was walking along the street, looked
into a shoe store window, they had a selection of
hiking boots on display. My mind went through
these motions linking the ideas as they came:
Hiking boots + Himalayas + Nepal + Tourism India + India Airlines = tour to Everest base camp
for the younger generation. Long story short – I created a promotion around the hiking boots
and base camp of Everest trek. Had a final count of 6 young guys, who walked in with roughly
ten-grand in cash and booked to go.
Not much has changed since that sale back
in the late 1970s! The boots are still
available, the Himalayas are still there, the
younger generation are still eager to head
outdoors, many are wanting to visit India
and some, not all, will go on to visit Nepal
and the foothills of the Himalaya.
The six lads that went on this trip also cycled
across Europe to build the strength / stamina
they needed for their trek. They toured India
after completing their base camp trek.
Today I see and sense way more interest in a
trip like this than back in the so called day.
You have a choice of suppliers who deal in
this type of trip who can help you put this
tour together.
The epic low impact adventure like this has
become more sophisticated as you know
and your connection to the local outfitter
will help you and your supplier get the
results you need from your marketing.
You’ll be looking to your outfitter partner to
supply images, and perhaps an introduction
to a documented hiker / author who might
lend their name to your trek. If there’s no
local outfitter to work with try national
companies such as Blacks, Cabela’s, MEC
and many other
chain stores. Selfie
boot shots are a
must have!
If you are from somewhere else as opposed to where you are now living, you might want to
discover your hidden talents and especially if you have them! Perhaps you were involved in
various cultural activities at home and maintain your interests. If this is the case for you, you
could dress in your dance or national costume for instance and then entertain your clients.
Your goal here is to pre-sell your clients on a tour to your “old country” with you as the escort.
Your promotion is all about showing local
then going global. Why not? If you can do it,
show off your musical, artistic talents and
use your skills to pre-sell your tour and at the
same time prepare your clients for what they
will experience when they visit your country.
If you are not a performer, chances are you
know someone who is. Ask them to help you
arrange the travel event / performance. This
will leave you to focus on the presentation,
sales and follow up. Work with a supplier if
you can. You are still the one to lead the
tour, or if you wish hand off the tour guiding
to someone else when you land or use your
supplier’s contacts to make those additional
arrangements. So, what local talents do you
have that will help you sell global?
My good “old” iPhone 5 is doing fine. Not in the least upset by its new cousins the
6 and 6+. For sure my i5 thought it would be traded in, but then there are some
features that I need and willing to wait for. The coffee app is for me. That said
there are truly marvellous camera upgrades that will give you options for Slow
Motion and Time Lapse videography plus your can control / adjust the exposure
right on the screen. All but the Slow Motion video works on the iPhone 5. But
then, there’s an app for that!
“But does it make
an Appuccino?”
Read The Fine Print
Before Signing On With A Host Agency! Before you sign on the dotted line to become a home based agent, make sure you have really read that agreement thoroughly. Yes, you are keen to get started, but as with all things, it pays to take a little time to really understand what you are getting into….and more importantly, how you can get out of it if all does not go as you’d hoped.
Not all host agency agreements are the same! Some will tie you up for much longer than others, so here are some things you want to look out for: 1. How long do you have to sign up for? Some
host agencies want you to sign up for much
longer than others. Ideally, the shorter time
the better from your point of view, so that
you are free to make a move.
2. What are the terms for leaving your host
agency? This is an important one with
several aspects to it. How much notice must
you give? Are there any penalties? Do you
get commission for the sales you have made
after you leave?
3. What are the terms for renewal of your
existing contract? Again, very important to
know this. Does your host agency
automatically renew you for another full
term contract?
4. Does your host agency charge you start-up
costs? This is another thing you‘ll want to
check out. Does your host agency help you
get started and fully support you with
everything you will need? And if so, what do
they charge you to do this?
5. Who owns your clients? This is a big one. Be
sure to read the fine print and make sure
that your customers ARE your customers.
Can you take them with you when you
move?
6. And finally, can you start with another
agency immediately if you leave the host
agency you are with? Make sure you have
not been tied up with a non-compete clause
that says you can’t work for any other
agency for a period of time. While this may
be challenged in court, you don’t want to
have to go to that expense.
It’s all in the fine print, folks, so read carefully and perhaps have a lawyer take a look for you.
By Jill Wykes
Brought to you by The Travel Agent Next Door
PEACE THROUGH
TOURISM
Sometimes it feels as if we’re living in a Rutherfurd novel, clawing our way through various
lives lived over several centuries, but then no, it is 2014 yet in many parts of the world they are
still living under rules and rulers straight out of the middle ages. What’s happening? Why is it
happening? Terror, wars, beheadings… my god, anyone’s god for that matter… mankind the
unkind! How can anyone, not in uniform, fight such aggression? Well as a travel agent I hasten
to say, you do have the power to giveth and the power to take “it” away. The IT is the tourism
dollar that you are responsible for. Let’s see how you can help and support the mission for
peace. T’anks for the Memories as they sang on WW2.
Every travel agent eventually becomes a
watcher of the news and that’s a must do
activity especially when it comes to how
climatic conditions, viruses, war and terror
might affect a client’s travel plans. It’s a
tough call watching all that mayhem on your
screen of choice but then you cannot bury
your head in the sand… although that’s one
way not to get your forehead sunburnt!
Tourism around the world is always on the
move. Clients who have been “there” a few
times will about face and head over to a
different “there” and then after that, they
will try a cruise or an escorted tour and if
they’ve done that already they might
upgrade or downgrade to see how they like
travelling in style or without it.
To help up the stress level we have a number
of country acquisitions going on and also one
or two countries trying to separate from the
motherland all of which support John
Naisbitts conclusions in Global Paradox that
eventually we will be selling travel to some
2,000 independent countries. Getting close
with 210 +/- but imagine that brochure rack
in a few years, with 2,000 countries! Holy
Brochures that rack will be a mile long.
Selling travel during uncertain times and
especially when the daily news seems to be
nothing but misery, murder and mayhem
can be more than a challenge for some travel
agents and for newcomers selling travel right
about now you might be feeling that this
industry is not what you thought it was.
Despite tanks rolling across borders and acts
of terror, you must keep the faith and
continue to sell to those destinations that
are safe for your clients to visit. You may end
up talking some clients out of a vacation that
is close to where the tanks are rolling and
then sooner or later you’ll be selling that
same place without the tanks. Now there is
the key to tourism (and especially at times
like these in Europe where it could almost be
a repeat of 1939 but with different players as
the aggressor). Tourism comes into its own
as soon as the strife subsides. It’s the way it
is. As soon as a war finishes, or a typhoon as
blown itself out, or floods have subsided the
consumer is back on the beach, back into the
hotels and back on those coaches. As soon as
places such as the Ukraine have regained
their stability you will see a surge of tourism
– and that’s when you make your move and
start promoting your services to that
destination.
Your future support of countries that have
suffered this type of strife will go a long way
to rebuilding their economies and as a travel
agent you can pat yourself on the back for
participating when the time comes and all
you have to do is sell travel to make it
happen.
Another thing you can think about is carrying
the Peace Through Tourism banner. It’s a
worthy principle and there is one major
organization that works to foster this
outcome, it’s the IIPT - The International
Institute For Peace Through Tourism.
The International Institute
For Peace Through Tourism
Here’s the information about IIPT from their
website: The International Institute For
Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) is a not for
profit organization dedicated to fostering
and facilitating tourism initiatives which
contribute to international understanding
and cooperation, an improved quality of
environment, the preservation of heritage,
and through these initiatives, helping to
bring about a peaceful and sustainable
world.
It is based on a vision of the world's largest
industry, travel and tourism - becoming the
world's first global peace industry; and the
belief that every traveler is potentially an
"Ambassador for Peace.
A primary goal of IIPT is to mobilize the travel
and tourism industry as a leading force for
poverty reduction.
Grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience the world and because peace begins with the individual, I affirm my personal responsibility and commitment to:
Journey with an open mind and gentle heart
Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I encounter
Revere and protect the natural environment which sustains all life
Appreciate all cultures I discover
Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome
Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet
Support travel services that share these views and act upon them and,
By my spirit, words and actions, encourage others to travel the world in peace
Are you selling travel to countries that are
causing terror in the world, or trying to invade
another country? Could you taketh away what
you’ve given? Could you redirect the sale to a
country that’s more deserving?
It’s a remote for your iPhone, iPad, Android and
Samsung Galaxy / Notes. I’ve got mine! Out of the
box, switch on your phone, switch on Bluetooth,
switch on Shuttr, green light appears, connection
made and bingo! Press the center button and shoot a
Selfie or any other picture on screen. Also works for
video. You can buy Shuttr online from Amazon.com
and Amazon.your country and directly from here:
http://www.mukulabs.com/collections/frontpage.
Here’s the information from the official website:
The slimmest camera shutter remote control for
iPhone, iPad, Android and Samsung Galaxy / Notes.
•Premium, sturdy build quality in a sleek, durable and
portable design. •Take great selfies, group photos and
videos from as far as 30 feet. Use the included audio
jack phone stand to position your phone in a
freestanding position. Never be left out of a
photo again!
RETI-CAM
Don’t forget to check out the Reti
Cam tripod mount shown on the left.
Also you can purchase a ball joint
tripod mount that fits the hot shoe of
your DLSR camera – shown on the
right. Use your smartphone as back
up for stills and video and access
many of the photo apps too.
With the Shuttr remote you can now
set up and click from a distance and
make sure you are in the shot.
All of us need sales tips, tools and techniques, conversational ideas to warm up an audience or
a singular quiet client and we also need, from time to time, a creative push to dig deeper and
source our own well entrenched ideas. Ta daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Enter these packs of
cards that do all of the above and more.
Over time I’ve collected more than a few
packs of these cards and some of them
are shown in the image here. One of the
best packs for me was the Creative
Whack Pack and often during a working
session I would open the pack, slide out
the cards and select one, turn it over and
read the activity.
The activity would be a direction to follow
and usually a suggestion such as:
Look Somewhere Else
The text that followed this heading was:
Finding new ideas is like prospecting for gold.
If you look in the same old places, you’ll find
tapped out veins. But if you venture off the
beaten path, you’ll improve your chances of
discovering new idea lodes. Remember: you
can’t see the good ideas behind you by
looking twice as hard at what’s in front of
you. Where else can you look for ideas?
It could be common sense, but then many
times when we’re caught up in the day and
in need of sales, the old noggin doesn’t nog
as it should. With a little prompting then,
you can break through the dry spell and
crack open something new and exciting.
The Art of Conversation pack will give you
300 openers… ThinkPak and the Whack Pack
are similar and the Think Twice packs offer
sales and sales coaching tips. So there you
have it. The next time you need an idea
booster… look into the cards.
When you need a boost, a shot in the arm, or a
kick in the-you-know-where… look for a
meaningful saying to guide you. Here’s a
great source of quotes that will help keep you
focused and on point. This small collection
resides in my library and quite often I’m
flipping through the pages to find something
to nudge an article along or to round out a
marketing slogan.
You can find these types of pocket sized
booklets full of quotes in most bookstores
and you can also find them online. If you
desire it, you can sign up to receive a
motivational quote every day. Here’s a website
top explore: http://www.daily-motivational-
quote.com/
You can download an APP if you want those quotes as close as
your mobile phone – here’s one app to explore and look for
more: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/505-motivational-
quotes/id362462613?mt=8
Try downloading wallpaper for your PC
featuring a quote of your choice:
http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/wallpapers/50-
best-desktop-wallpapers-with-inspiring-quotes/
Just one more to add to the pile and it’s this one – The Quotable
Traveler and some of the quotes in this book make for terrific
marketing slogans too. Try rearranging one or two so that you
create and own the quote.
Yes You Do
need your own website…and here’s why!
As an independent travel agent, you have many things to sift through in terms of what is
important to market yourself, to run your business, and to close sales. You are likely
bombarded with information and technology that may or may not be useful.
Previously in this column, we have discussed
using social media, email and direct mail to reach
your clients as effective channels for reaching
your customers.
But what about your potential customers who
might want to check you out? And what about
customers who are sitting on the fence?
Believe it or not, that is one of the main reasons
you need a website….and not just any website, a
website that is yours.
The number one reason you need a website is to
give you credibility. When potential customers,
or your own customers, go on line to check you
out, you need a professional site that promotes
you and your services.
Now, don’t get me wrong, you do need a
bookable site. Why? So that your clients can
search for packages, cruises, hotels and cars and
whatever they want on your site, and not have
to go elsewhere! Offer them as much as possible
on your site. If they wander away, they might
book elsewhere. Be sure to look for the most
complete product offering you can find.
So…when you are evaluating a host agency, do
pay attention to the website offering. You will
want to know how easily it can be customized for
you. Will you have your own site with your own
branding, or just a page on the host agency’s
site?
How easily can you change the site and add or
delete tabs…and how often?
Can you cater to wedding groups and offer a site
that only the bride and groom can see. And can
you easily edit the pages, insert pictures and
videos?
Is this your own URL or a shared site? These are
all questions you need to ask and understand.
Look for a host agency that gives you this
valuable tool and check out any costs, and
support systems. Your website is your face on
the internet, the place where increasingly,
more and more people are shopping for
travel.
By Jill Wykes
Brought to you buy The Travel Agent Next Door
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